Pecora Dairy, Southern Highlands
Earlier this year my husband and I took our two kids down to visit the award winning Southern highlands sheep dairy, ‘Pecora’ to meet husband and wife artisan cheese makers; Michael and Cressida McNamara.
Pecora have again recently won medals for their outstanding farmhouse cheese- second medal in only their first year of production!! Jamberoo Mountain Blue was awarded a silver (following last years Gold medal) at both Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Awards.
More of this review to come- off to bed x.
Brie Change- Quit your day job and work with cheese
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A FRESH START….. BETTER LIFESTYLE, NEW CHALLENGE….
a move to the country?
I get a large number of cheese enthusiasts coming along to my events, many of whom tell me that they would love to quit their boaring, unfulfilling day time job and work with cheese.
A ‘brie’ change perhaps?
Well….. opportunities to do so don’t get better then this.
Knights Meats & Deli is a family owned business with a fantastic reputation in Wagga Wagga for quality foods and gourmet products.
Many of you will know that we have been big fans of this business since the original owners Michael and Anne Knight invited us down to run a series of cheese classes and staff training courses.
I have really enjoyed all my trips to Wagga Wagga and was thrilled to have experienced the growth and diversity of the cheese counter on a recent trip to support the new owner; the wonderful, passionate, inspiring business woman and foodie extraordinaire, Deanna McNaughton.
She currently has a position available for a Deli Manager to take charge of the newly extended Deli.
A role that will ultimately refine the gourmet range and expand its profitability.
Guilde Internationale des Fromagers
“Last night it was a great honour to have been inducted into the ‘Guilde Internationale des Fromagers’; a most prestigious, French Cheese Association” – Claudia Bowman
Nine robed, official Les Guilde Internationale members including; President Roland Barthélemy, Cathy Strange- global cheese buyer for Whole Foods Market, David Gremmels, co-owner of Rogue Creamery, Louis Aird, specialty cheese director for Saputo in Canada, and Philippe Chevrollier the director of Artisan Cheese for Bongrain, recognised Claudia Bowman of ‘McIntosh & Bowman Cheesemonger’s’ outstanding contribution to the Artisan Cheese Community.
Claudia Bowman was awarded the exclusive title of ‘Garde et Jure’; protector and judge of dairy products and cheesemakers, at what was the 130th induction chapter in the guilde’s history.
The ceremony was held in Alexandria at The Simon Johnson head office and was opened by Roland Barthélemy and Cathy Strange, North American Guilde Internationale des Fromagers Ambassador.
Barthélemy defined the Guilde as being ‘Since 40yrs we are protectors of dairy products and cheesemakers’ and described the ceremony as ‘a monumental occasion’
as it was the first time in the guildes history of visiting and initiating an Australian chapter.
Other Sydney honourees in which awards were bestowed included;
Jill Dupleix
Terry Durack
Niel Perry
Serge Dansereau
Simon Johnson
Download Now!
It's here!! Our Educational Cheese iPhone App
I am thrilled to announce that apple have approved my cheese app and that it can be downloaded from the apple store effective immediately!
We have already had over 17,000 downloads!! NOW just 99c in-app purchase.
Ask The Cheesemonger…. what can i say…….it’s all you could ever want to know about cheese at the click of your thumbs!
Ask The Cheesemonger is the ultimate cheese application for both industry professionals and cheese enthusiasts alike.
This educational application profiles hundreds of cheese from around the world and comprehensively answers the most frequently asked cheese questions. It also suggests beverage matching options, allows users to search hundreds of cheese by milk type, cheese style, country of origin, and rennet type and features a cheese challenge that tests the enthusiasts knowledge of cheese, with scores that can be posted to Facebook, twitter.
I am excited that I can continually update this app with all the new cheeses from ever corner of the world as I keep discovering them. We have also held back a lot of content so that we can upload more cheese each month. This application has only just begun.
I collaborated with the skilled and creative developers Protein One, the brains behind the #1 Lifestyle App, ’Ask The Butcher’, to bring the most comprehensive cheese app to iTunes.
As we receive a H.U.G.E. amount of cheese questions to our website every day; from everything from how do you get the holes in swiss cheese? why are some cheeses orange? what’s the difference between brie and camembert? it was important that a primary function of this cheese app was to be educational and answer these FAQ in the most comprehensive way we could to allow cheese enthusiasts better access to the information they are craving.
It is after all the information age, and as everyone wants to be an expert, here we have the perfect cheese guide.
Ask The Cheesemonger has been designed to simplify and demystify the often confusing subject of cheese and in doing so provides enthusiasts with the product confidence that will enhance future cheese experiences.
Impress your friends and colleagues at your next dinner party with your knowledge of the wonderful world of cheese!!
Bellwether Exclusive Offer
Celebrate the launch of our iPhone Cheese App with a 15% off our favourite wine label, Bellwether; the perfect artisan wine for artisan cheese.
Bellwether wines are treating all McIntosh & Bowman enthusiasts to an exclusive 15% discount off their magnificent wines.
Click here to read the most recent review of this wine label in the SMH- 22.11.2011 ‘Flock, stock and barrels’ Huon Hooke.
Read all about Sue Bell The amazing wine maker.
Australia’s best on a plate!
This festive season, entertain with Australian Artisan Cheese!
Here I have selected 10 of the best with a detailed account of what makes them so terrific!
1. Skyla
Holy Goat Sutton Grange Organic Farm – Castlemaine, Victoria
What is it?
Pasteurised, Bloomy, Organic Goat Milk Cheese made with Vegetarian Rennet
Why you need to know about it:
Skyla is produced by cheese makers Carla Meurs and Ann-Marie Monda of the Holy Goat Cheese Company on their 200 acre Sutton Grange Organic Farm. Their bio-dynamic farming principals, ethical animal husbandry style, cheese making skills and respect for the natural environment are all reflected in their unique and successful cheeses. Widely considered to be Australia’s greatest, most unique goat milk cheeses, and possibly the most awarded, Holy Goat’s cheeses are the closest thing Australia is producing to the traditional style of Goat Milk cheese from a significant French region such as the Loire Valley. The production techniques for their cheeses are based on the traditional French slow lactic acid fermentation of the curd.
What it taste like:
Skyla has a luxuriously creamy, full-bodied velvety texture, delicate, earthy aroma, a citrusy tangy mouthfeel and rustic, nutty, savoury, well balanced flavour.
2. C2
Bruny Island Cheese Co. – Great Bay, Bruny Island, Tasmania
What is it?
Raw Milk, Hard-Pressed, Organic Cow’s Milk Cheese made with Vegetarian Rennet
Why you need to know about it:
C2 follows the techniques used by the classic, raw milk, alpine cheeses of France. Cheesemaker Nick Haddow combines local Tasmanian resources, his culinary experience, world travels, respect for traditional cheese making skills and constant pursuit of integrity and flavour in cheesemaking to create one of Australia’s most experimental and exciting cheeses……. and that is without even mentioning its un-pasteurised status!! This was my cheese of choice to represent Australia at The 2011 Cheesemonger Invitation NYC; for the sheer joy of supporting a progressive, daring, inspired cheese making talent
What it taste like:
C2 has a delicate, sweet aroma, rich nutty taste and a moist, earthy flavour similar to that of a well matured cheddar. C2 has a well balanced, long lasting mouthfeel.
3. St Johns Brook
Cambray Sheep Cheese – Nannup, Western Australia
What is it?
Raw, Hard, Sheep Milk Cheese made with Animal Rennet
Why you need to know about it:
St Johns Brook is considered to be one of the most matured Australian sheep cheeses on the local market, matured for a minimum of 12 months. Cambray Sheep Cheese is one of only 12 or so sheep dairies in Australia and the only sheep cheesemakers known to us in Western Australia. The Wilde family are a true family business with Mother Jane as head cheese maker, Father Bruce sheep farming and son Tom and partner Emma assisting in the dairy.
What it taste like:
St Johns Brook has a fruity, complex flavour with hints of pineapple. St Johns Brook has a long lingering, lanolin, fatty, rich mouthfeel and is slightly sweet in flavour with crunchy calcium deposits.
4. Figaro
Woodside Cheese – Wrights Woodside, South Australia
What is it?
Smear Ripened, Semi-Hard, Vine Wrapped and pasteurised Goat Milk cheese made with Vegetarian rennet
Why you need to know about it:
Figaro was developed by head cheesemaker and Telstra Business Woman award winner of 2012, Kris Lloyd, as a more robust flavour to her portfolio of cheeses and to cater for the growing Australian demand for more complex and challenging flavours. Figaro is a ‘smear’ ripened goat cheese. The yoghurt starter culture that is used to make the milk more acidic in the early stages of the cheese production, are thought to be responsible for the unique character and complexity of this cheese.
What it taste like:
Figaro has complex, robust, savoury, meaty flavours with a floral and delicate goat milk aroma when young and becomes more pungent and farmy smelling with maturity.
5. Fromart Devil’s Foot
FROMART – Sunshine Coast, Queensland
What is it?
Pasteurised, Semi-Hard, Jersey Cow’s Milk Cheese made with Vegetarian Rennet
Why you need to know about it:
Devil’s Foot is made according to a Swiss Alpine cheese recipe and is produced using only fresh summer milk. Cheese maker and founder of Fromart cheese company, Christian Nobel, moved to Australia from Switerland in 2006 with the desire to satisfy the increasing market demand for genuine handcrafted swiss style cheese. His acquired artisan cheesemaking skills have been well received by both the growing population of Swiss-Australian immigrants and locals alike.
What it taste like:
Fromart Devil’s Foot has a sweet and complex aroma, dense, silky, moist but firm texture and meaty, nutty, savoury, pasteur driven flavour profile.
6. Pyengana Cloth Matured Cheddar
Pyengana Dairy Company – Pyengana, Tasmania
What is it?
Pasteurised, Hard-Pressed, Cow’s Milk Cheese made with Animal Rennet
Why you need to know about it:
Pyengana Cheddar is considered one of Australia’s oldest specialist cheeses, produced by 4th generation cheesemaker, John Healey. Healy values the traditional English style of Cheddar making, cloth binding and maturation techniques that were established by his great grandfather at the turn of the century. The name ‘Pyengana’ comes from the Aboriginal language, meaning “meeting place of rivers”. Pyengana Cheddar is at its best when cellared to twelve months or more.
What it taste like:
Pyengana Cheddar has rich, earthy, cellar floor, musky flavours and aroma with more butter scotchy and caramelised flavours when aged. Pyengana becomes more crumbly in texture with a grainy, crystalline, crunchy flecks when matured.
7. Strezlecki Goat Blue
Tarago River Cheese Company – Gippsland, Victoria
What is it?
Pasteurised, Blue Vein, Goat Milk Cheese made with Animal Rennet
Why you need to know about it:
Strezlecki Goat Blue is named after the Strzelecki Ranges that overlook the farm, south of the Gippsland region of Victoria. This Goat Blue is considered one of Australia’s greatest blues and is at its best at around ten weeks of maturation. Head cheesemaker and co-founder of the Tarago River Cheese Company, Laurie Jensen, has been producing cheese for over 30 years using both the fresh milk of his herd of 400 cow’s and Goat milk sourced locally. Jensen is credited as being amongst the first Australian farmhouse cheesemakers and the very first producer of an Australian farmhouse Blue cheese.
What it taste like:
Strezlecki Goat Blue has a moist, soft, sensuous texture with clean, subtle goat flavours, and a full aromatic, goaty bouquet.
8. Brinawa
Marook Farm – Hastings Valley, near Taree, NSW
What is it?
Pasteurised, Hard, Washed Rind, Cow’s Milk Cheese made with Vegetarian Rennet
Why you need to know about it:
Brinawa is made by cheese makers David Marks and his Swiss born wife Heidi Fallding on their 400 acre, bio-dynamic dairy farm. ‘Marrook Farm’ is hidden away in Elands, in the idyllic, hinterland on the Mid-Northern coast of New South Wales. David and Heidi use milk from their own herd of 60 red & white Ayrshire cattle to produce this 3kg round of Raceltte or Tilsit style, semi-hard, washed rind cheese. Unfortunately due to market demand they are better known for their award winning, bottle fermented, probiotic natural yoghurt then they are their world class cheese.
What it tastes like:
Brinawa has buttery, complex, robust, rich flavour with herbaceous, pasteur driven, grassy aromas and a long lasting, well balanced mouth feel.
9. Jannei Buche Noir
Jannei Goat Dairy – Lidsdale, NSW
What is it?
Pasteurised, Fresh, Ash Rolled Goat Milk cheese made with Vegetarian rennet.
Why you need to know about it?
Jannei Buche Noir or Jannei ‘Black Log’ is both a reference to the black, ash coated rind as well as ‘Jannei’ being a combination of the cheese makers, Jannet and Neil Watson’s, names. Janet and Neil have ben producing award winning cheeses that are made with the fresh milk of their herd of approximatey 100-mostly Saanen, dairy goats, since 1996. Jannei Buch Noir is rolled in vegetable ash and is inspired by traditional preservation techniques where lack of refrigeration and packaging meant that fresh delicate curds required protecting with a faux rind or coating of vegetable ash.
What it taste like?
Jannei Buche Noir has a delicate, clean, citric mouth feel, an elegant long lasting fresh flavour and mild, delicate, fresh aroma.
10. Annie Baxter
Shaw River Buffalo Cheese Company – Yambuk, VIC
What is it?
Cooked curd, Semi-hard, Romano style cheese made with Buffalo milk, Microbial rennet and aged for a minimum of 12 months made with Microbial Rennet
Why you need to know about it?
The Shaw River Buffalo Cheese Co. are the pioneers of water buffalo milking in Australia. In 1995 Rodger Haldane, wife Sue and brother Clyde, chartered a plane from Italy and Bulgaria and imported Australia’s first herd of Buffalo and by 2000 Rodger’s son-in law was producing buffalo milk cheeses under the Shaw River label. The award winning dairy is located on the banks of the Shaw River, Yambuk, VIC.
What it tastes like?
Annie Baxter Buffalo Milk cheese is a well balanced, mild cheese with a delicate flavour profile and lingering, savoury taste.
Worlds Best Cheese
Well it’s official!
Ossau Iraty; a French, raw, sheep milk cheese has been crowned World Champion at the 2011 World Cheese Awards; – the world’s largest international cheese competition.
It was a tremendous experience for me to have been a part of this decision making process as one of judges on the The Supreme Panel, made up of 19 experts from 12 countries to finally crown the World Champion Cheese of 2011.
This cheese also took out a second award for the day; ‘Best raw milk cheese’ of 2011.
The day was hosted at the BBC Good Food Show on 23rd November 2011 and started with 200 international judges tasting over 2,500 cheeses from 30 countries during the morning session. We then identified 55 ‘supergold’ award winning cheeses by mid-afternoon before the judges lunch.
Ossau Iraty AOC is made by a small family run business ‘Fromagerie Agour’, and is one of only two sheep milk cheeses with AOC status in France.
Incredibly, this is the second time the Ossau Iraty AOC has been crowned World Champion, having first won in 2006. This is unheard of in the 23 years that the World Cheese Awards have been running and confirms how outstanding the quality of the cheese is.
The winning cheese was submitted by Frédéric Gayral from the UK importer QST. When he called the father and son who make the cheese to tell them the good news he said “they started to cry on the phone, it was overwhelming.”
Cornish Blue (UK), which was crowned World Champion in 2010 came a very close second and Sartori Limited Edition Cognac (USA) came third.
Masterchef Live 2011 – The Official Cheese Partners
We enjoyed a most successful experience as the Official Cheese Partners of this years ‘Masterchef Live’ event at The Horden Pavilion Oct 15th-17th.
We even had a photo with George!
I am told there was in excess of 30,000 foodies that came through and immersed them selves in all of George, Garry and Matt’s favourite things.
We had 6 shows on stage, partnered up with Hardy’s Wines and co-presenting alongside one of their wine makers; Charlie (Charles) Seppelt.
I was thrilled to have met Sir James and Lady Joan Hardy with whom I presented some of my hand crafted slate cheese boards to. Wonderful.
It was a pleasure of the highest order sharing our stand with the amazing Jan Nash and Christopher of Pastilla Nash- Our cheese accompaniments of choice!!
I felt like a princess having been styled and dressed by Sophie Rose, of Mr Rose
Many thanks also to RM WILLIAMS for my apparel.
Congratulations to the winner of our Masterchef Live ‘Artisan Cheese Box’ give away; ‘Ethan Biddle’. Ethan; we will make contact to organise delivery of your Luxury Cheese Hamper!
We used the Masterchef weekend and our 6 masterclasses on stage to showcase and market research our new slate products by serving all cheese on slate.
We subsequently sold out of slate before the end of the festival! A most wonderful reception for our new cheese affiliate.
Here are the cheese matches we discovered worked best over the weekend alongside the following wines from the Hardys new ‘Nottage Hill’ Brand;
1. CHARDONNAY
- Meredith ‘Ash’ Goat Milk Fresh Cheese from Meredith, Victoria
2. PINOT NOIR
- Yarra Valley Dairy ‘White Savourine’ Goat Milk Bloomy Rind Cheese from Yarra Valley Victoria
3. SPARKLING
- Holy Goat’s ‘Matured Skyla’ Bloomy Rind Cheese from Castlemaine, Victoria
4. SHIRAZ
- Pyengana Cloth Bound Cheddar Cow’s Milk Hard Cheese from Pyengana, Tasmania
5. SAUVIGNON BLANC
- Berry’s Creek ‘Tarwin Blue’ Cow’s Milk Blue Vein Cheese from Gippsland, Victoria
World Cheese Awards 2011- Birmingham UK
I am thrilled to have accepted a very fancy position on the Supreme Panel of International Judges at this years World Cheese Awards in Birmingham, UK.
A most wonderful achievement from my humble cheese beginnings of mass produced, industrial, commercial cheeses readily accessible from the supermarkets.
It is indeed true that, at even an early age I was able to distinguish the difference between Mainland, COON, Cracker Barrel and BEGA. My three siblings will testify.
Their similar yellow, waxy, continuous block like aesthetic did nothing to detract from the subtle (to some- but overwhelmingly overt to my sophisticated 3yr old palate) differences in aroma and flavour profile.
Who would have known, that this very skill and ability to assess and articulate characteristics of fermented milk products, would become my calling in life. So, it’s most certainly a great honour for me to have been called upon, and on such an international stage, to compare and contrast various aspects of aroma, texture, taste, mouthfeel and balance between different milk types and cheese styles.
Back to how brilliant this event is going to be; as the name would suggest, The World Cheese Awards is the largest and most diverse cheese competition in the world. Naturally.
This event is part of the biggest paid-for consumer food show in Europe; The BBC Good Food Show, a 20year seasoned event!
On Wednesday November 23 (next Wednesday) I will be placed in a judging team to work with other cheese professionals on a certain category or round before taking part again, later in the day as part of the ‘Super Jury’ where we will again be called upon to judge the top cheeses from each round, in the hope of arriving at a verdict on the World Champion 2011.
I couldn’t be more excited.
And to the 44 cheese enthusiasts who are booked into cheese events out on Fort Denison with me on the Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th; don’t worry… I will be back in time.
This will be the second whirl wind international ‘there and back in less then a week’ trip. All for the love of cheese.
Based on key visitor facts from 2010, they are expecting;
89,000 visitors
91% ABC1
Average household income £52k
£ 9.1m spent at the Show
Be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with all our Cheese Adventures at The World Cheese Awards 2011.
Artisan Box of Cheese- delivered to your home or office
As featured in the current edition of Instyle Magazine, Dec 2011
Click here to visit our shop and buy today!
Many thanks to (our now best friends at) Instyle Magazine who most generously featured our Artisan Cheese Box in the ‘Christmas Gift Guide’ of their Dec 2011 edition.
-Every small business’s dream!
Look for the cover with the fabulous Sarah Jessica Parker.
And hey! Be encouraged to LIKE their facebook page, commenting on how impressed you are to see your favourite cheesemongers getting a feature.
Maybe if they see how many cheese lovers read their terrific publication, and they identify an uncharacteristic increase in both Facebook LIKES and magazine sales, they may attribute this to the inclusion of our unique Artisan Cheese Box and maybe even one day, wish to have me write a regular cheese column for them? wow! I wouldn’t say no.
I was originally thinking of calling this post ‘Cheese In The City’ but thought it would be, well a bit too…. cheesy.
I’ve thought about it a lot, and I strongly believe there to be no coincidence between SJP being on the cover of this months edition and us being recommended as a great gift idea.
Perhaps even a great connection… All that amazing cheese; a perfect concentrated source of calcium and protein for keeping her well manicured, expensive looking hair, skin and nails in check!
Could it be that she in fact, requested that we be featured in the edition that she was to grace the cover of?
Was she even perhaps, eating our cheeses after the photo shoot, in the green room?
… we may never know.
But what we can definitely confirm, is that when you purchase our Artisan Cheese Box you will enjoy next day Delivery FREE OF CHARGE to your boardroom, office or private residence!*
(*deliveries must be within 20-30 km from Botany- any further away and there may be some additional delivery expenses incurred)
This box of gorgeous and unique cheese is;
Perfect if you need cheese for various gatherings over the weekend!
Perfect if you want to go in with workmates/ flatmates or neighbours for a box of cheese to share!
Perfect for office drinks with colleagues on Friday!
and P.E.R.F.E.C.T. as a gift for that foodie friend or family member on ANY occasion!
Try this service for just $149. Click here to visit our shop and buy today!
Delivered to your office or home you will instantly be able to see and taste the value!
We pride ourself on choosing the best of the best seasonal cheese on the morning of your delivery!!
Because of this, the produce and can vary from what is showcased here in the attached image.
Specific cheese can not be requested- it just gets too complicated!!
Trust that you will be receiving a mixed box of incredible and fabulous artisan cheese, not readily accessible, that we select to best represent our brand, to the value of $149.
Your going to LOVE it.
